| Abstract |
A device for reducing the impact damage on the pinion and ring gear entry face during starting of an internal combustion engine comprising a plunger actuated by a solenoid, when said solenoid is energized; a fork connected to the plunger, said fork, on the plunger being actuated, moving an indexing sleeve, said sleeve having internal straight splines moving on a shaft and having an external helical spline; a one way roller clutch assembled on the said external spline; a pinion and rollers assembled on the clutch, the fork when moving the sleeve, also moves the clutch and pinion assembly such that when the tooth of the pinion butts against the tooth of the ring gear, the plunger moves in, while the fork pushes the sleeve forward compressing a low tension engagement spring, the forward movement of the sleeve indexes the clutch and pinion, the said indexing facilitating the entry of the teeth of the pinion into the ring gear tooth space and the low tension engagement spring pushes the pinion into the ring gear before the contacts are closed, a portion of the initial impact of the pinion on the ring gear being absorbed by the spring and the low tension of the engagement spring, thus reducing the friction between the pinion face and the ring gear face, there by reducing the impact damage. |